The publication was timely as, just one month before, the journal Transfusion[*] published impressive results from a comprehensive 5‐year PBM programme in Western Australia, the world’s largest programme to date on PBM. It included 605,046 patients admitted to Western Australia’s four major adult tertiary‐care hospitals, with results showing a 28% reduction in hospital mortality, a 15% reduction in average hospital length of stay, a 21% decrease in hospital‐acquired infections ﴾transfused patients are more susceptible to infection﴿ and a 31% decrease in the incidence of heart attack or stroke. The use of blood products was reduced by 41% during the study period, achieving not only these significant patient outcome benefits but also representing a very substantial cost saving to the health service [European Commission].

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